Thorns of Doubt
by TheaterBug
Summary: Was it wrong to condemn her to this when she had another equally as good option? Were we going against fate by doing such a thing? -- Bella has a choice to make - human or vampire? She's made her decision, but there is always room for doubt.
1. Alice

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who read my first Twilight piece, **_**Dancing Through Life**_**. This story would essentially take place during **_**Breaking Dawn**_**. As I mentioned in my author's note for **_**Dancing Through Life**_**, if I were to write something for Twilight, I wanted to be able to get the characters how they truly are. Therefore I was refraining from writing anything like this, but then I got the idea and I am proud of how it turned out. It's much, much shorter than **_**Dancing Through Life**_** but hopefully it still captures the characters. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series or any of its characters.

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**Thorns of Doubt**

It was painful. I could see every time she wavered. He had no idea. I was very careful to hide these thoughts from him. If he knew she was having doubts, he'd never want to go through with it. And who knows what that could cause. The worst part about it, though, was that I began having doubts too. It was so confusing. Both options had a happy ending. Was it wrong to condemn her to this when she had another equally as good option? Were we going against fate by doing such a thing?

Horrible as it was, I started hoping for something that would put her near death. If it was condemn her or let her die, the decision was clear cut. But we'd already passed that point. Not only had she been at death's door, but it seemed like the decision to condemn her had already been made for us. The venom had been in her system. If he had just added a few more bites to speed up the process…

But he saved her. Which, I suppose, was the right thing to do. At least this way she gets to say goodbye to her family and being human. But it's giving her time for second thoughts! And that dumb dog! He's shown her the other side. She has two great futures ahead of her. One is natural. The other _is_, I guess, going against fate. However, it _is_ her choice. She's choosing her future, her fate. So is it really so wrong if we're just giving her what she wants?

I suppose there are some selfish motivations behind it. He loves her. He wants to be with her forever and forever is limited while she stays human. And it would be so much _easier_ for him if she weren't. I'm being selfish too. I want her to be part of the family. I want her as my sister. We've become such close friends. Then…there _is_ the fact that I _saw_ her becoming one of us and, well, I don't enjoy being wrong. It's something I'm not so used to. Also, none of us want to have to see her die. But then again, becoming one of us is death as well. But at least she'll be alright after this death.

She looked beautiful in her wedding dress, but I could see the nervousness bubbling up inside of her. I sidled over to her and put my arm around her waist. "You look beautiful," I told her.

"Thanks," she whispered. She turned from our mirror reflections to look at me. I did the same, giving her a reassuring smile. "Alice?"

"Yes?"

She hesitated and I could tell she wasn't going to ask her original question. "Will everything turn out alright at the wedding?" she asked instead.

I paused and looked for the answer. After a moment I was able to confirm, "Yes, yes it will."

"So he's not going to try to…?" she trailed off, but I knew what she was talking about.

"I can see your happy wedding so nope!" I chirped, trying to elevate her mood.

"Alice?" she said again.

"Yes, Bella?"

She took a deep breath and I knew the true worry was coming this time. "Am I doing the right thing?" she questioned.

I froze. "I-I can't answer that for you, Bella," I breathed. "But," I quickly amended as her expression grew even more concerned, "I can help you figure it out. Do you love him?"

"Of course!" Bella exclaimed, her eyes growing wide.

"More than anyone and anything else in the world?"

"Yes. With all my heart."

"Is this what you want?"

"I could've done with waiting to get married and a smaller wedding," she pointed out. We both laughed. Then she grew quiet. I waited expectantly. "But," she began slowly, "yes, this is exactly what I want."

I smiled brilliantly, relieved. "Great! Then let's go get you married!" I declared.

She smiled back. I took her hand and led her to the door. We paused in the doorway, to give her a moment to prepare. She took a deep breath. "Thank you, Alice," she whispered, so quietly a normal person wouldn't have heard it. "For everything." I gave her hand a very gentle squeeze before opening the door. We had a wedding to catch.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your feedback! This story will have a second "chapter," but it's not really a new chapter. You'll see. :) I hope you all enjoyed my second Twilight fic and, again, I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks!**

**-TheaterBug-**


	2. Bella

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter! This second chapter is not from Alice's POV. That's all I'll say since I think it's all pretty clear within the story. This was the final step in my progression of successful Twilight writing. This piece is the closest to the books. Again, I hope I have done the characters justice and I would love to hear what you think. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series or any of its characters.

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**Thorns of Doubt**

This was it. I was getting married. I was only eighteen. I'd just graduated high school. And I was getting married. To a vampire. The vampire part I didn't mind at all. But married at eighteen straight out of high school? I shook my head. I'd never thought it would've been me. There was a reason I was doing this though. I wanted to become a vampire and join the Cullen family. And I wanted Edward to be the one to change me. His condition was that he'd change me…if I married him first. I agreed to marry him, if we could, well, have sex. Before I became a perpetually thirsty vampire.

So here I was. In the vintage wedding dress Alice had gotten for me. Staring in the mirror. On the day of my wedding. And trying not to hyperventilate. I loved Edward. There was no question about that. And I knew I wanted to be with him forever. Even with all I'd be giving up – Renée, Charlie, and being human, to name a few – I still wanted to be with him for what is truly forever. So why had I been getting so uncertain lately?

It was things like that which made me, again, so thankful that my thoughts were the only ones Edward couldn't hear. I wondered how Alice was faring. I angled myself in the mirror so I could catch a glimpse of her. She appeared lost in thought. I knew she must see every time I have doubts and change my mind. It's never more than a second, but she'd still see it. I shot her an apologetic look that I knew she didn't see.

When Edward and I first began our relationship, Alice had seen him changing me into a vampire. I'd hooked onto that idea, even though Edward fought it and tried to persuade me that it was not an option. Now, it was finally going to become a dream come true. I was going to become a beautiful vampire like the people I'd come to know and love. Today was the first step to becoming family. The change would be the final step.

As I actually took in my reflection for the first time, I could feel the nervousness peeking out again. A wedding dress. I was in a wedding dress. All too soon, Charlie would be walking me down to the aisle. I looked at where the dress met the floor. I thought about the slight heels Alice had made me wear underneath the dress. What if I tripped going down the aisle? I certainly wasn't known for my grace. I'd received a large number of injuries from my clumsiness. It would be just my luck to trip walking down the aisle.

All of a sudden, Alice silently appeared beside me in the mirror. Most likely, she'd seen the nerves written across my face. She wrapped her arm around my waist and declared, "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," was all could choke out. I turned away from the mirror and towards her. Alice mirrored my actions and smiled, trying to reassure me, I'm sure. "Alice?" I whispered.

"Yes?"

I hesitated and quickly decided on a question that I wasn't the one I'd intended to ask. "Will everything turn out alright at the wedding?" I checked.

I watched as she looked into my future, carefully monitoring her expression for anything that might give her vision away. When she opened her eyes, she looked cheerful so I knew the answer before she said it. "Yes, yes it will," she announced.

"So he's not going to try to…?" I began, stopping myself before I might get choked up. As far as I knew, my former best friend (who is also a werewolf) Jacob Black was still gone. I didn't want him to try to stop me from marrying Edward but…I would've given anything to know he was safe and happy.

"I can see your happy wedding so nope!" she chimed gleefully.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Bella?"

I had to ask it. Taking a deep breath, I carefully phrased the question, "Am I doing the right thing?"

Alice froze. I could feel the panic growing inside of me. "I can't answer that for you, Bella," she softly and solemnly told me. The panic began to take over and she quickly continued, "But I can help you figure it out. Do you love him?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "Of course!" I practically shouted.

"More than anyone and anything else in the world?" Alice prompted.

"Yes," I answered confidently. Softer, I added, "With all my heart."

"Is this what you want?"

"I could've done with waiting to get married," I began, and then teasingly added, "and a smaller wedding." We both laughed for a moment. When I stopped, she looked at me expectantly. "But…yes, this is exactly what I want," I resolved.

Alice flashed me a brilliant smile, clearly relieved. "Great!" she squealed. "Then let's go get you married!"

I smiled back, much less brilliantly, but all that would soon change. Alice's cool hand took my sweaty one and she dragged me to the door, carefully enough to make sure I wasn't going to trip over my wedding dress. We paused in the doorway and I knew this was the last moment I had to brace myself for what was about to happen. I took a deep breath. "Thank you, Alice. For everything," I whispered, so quietly I could scarcely hear myself. I knew she could hear me though. In response, she simply gave my hand a small squeeze. She reached for the doorknob and I prepared myself to become a married woman. Married to the man of my dreams. Edward Cullen.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your feedback! I have no new stories lined up at this time, but I hope everyone enjoys reading the long awaited **_**Breaking Dawn**_**! I hope you all have enjoyed **_**Thorns of Doubt**_** and, again, I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks!**

**-TheaterBug-**


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